Friday, 10th October 2025

Know About Dr Irfaan Ali, President of Guyana with Indian Roots 

The President of Guyana, Dr Irfaan Ali recently won the General and Regional Elections held on September 1 and was sworn in as President for a second consecutive term.

Written by Scott Johnson

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President Dr Irfaan Ali

Basic Information:

Mohamed Irfaan Ali was born on 25th April 1980, in Guyana. He is currently serving as the eleventh and current president of Guyana. The Member of the People’s Progressive Party is the first Muslim to hold the office after he won the presidential elections held in March 2020 and again this year in 2025.

He also became the second Muslim head of state in the Americas, following Noor Hassanali of Trinidad and Tobago. Ali has also served as the Chairman of CARICOM from January 2024 to June 2024,

Political Career

Irfaan Ali’s career in politics began as he stepped into the National Assembly in 2006. He then served as the Minister of Housing and Water from 2009 till 2015. Ali was then named chair of the Public Accounts Committee, and co-chair of the Economic Services Committee in Parliament, after the People’s Progressive Party/Civic went into opposition in 2015. He was chosen as the PPP/C's presidential candidate in January 2019 for the general election in March 2020, which he won and took the office.

Dr Irfaan Ali Sworn in as President

Recently, Guyana held its general elections on 1st September 2025, which were won by the People Progressive Party with most seats and Irfaan Ali was sworn in as the President for the second consecutive term.

Education

Irfaan Ali, born into an Indo-Guyanese Muslim Family started his early education in Leonora Nursery and Primary School and then headed to Cornelia Ida Primary school. He then started his secondary education at the St Stanislaus College in Georgetown, Guyana.

He graduated from the University of Sunderland with a Bachelor of Arts in Business Management and Anglia Ruskin University with a Master of Arts in Manpower Planning. Additionally, he has a Master Degree in Human Resource Planning and Development from Guru Gobind Singh Indraprastha University's National Institute of Labour Economics, India. He also holds a doctorate in Urban and Regional Planning from the University of the West Indies and an LLM in International Commercial Law from the University of Salford.

Achievements and Policies

During his tenure, Ali has initiated several policies focusing on creating employment opportunities and expanding Guyana’s economy. Under his leadership, Guyana’s oil economy, the nation’s main source of income, has grown significantly and created 50,000 employments in five years. Recently, the governement of Guyana acheived another major milestone by ending the construction of the new demerara bridge, which was uner construction since a while.

Irfaan Ali has been also awarded and recognized by Pravasi Bhartiya Samman award for his exceptional leadership overseas. The award is sponsored by the President of India and is the highest Indian award for an overseas resident.

Net Worth

President Irfaan Ali’s net worth remains unknown.

Income and Salary

President Ali receives the president’s salary designated by the official allowances. Apart from this he also receives several other benefits including state owned assets, such as houses, transportation and security.

Family Information 

Ali was born into an Indo-Guyanese Muslim family of educators Mohamed Osman Ali and Bibi Shariman Neshaw. In the 19th century, his maternal ancestors moved to British Guyana from Uttar Pradesh, India, as servants and started a family there.

Ali is now married to Arya Ali, with whom he has two children. As the First Lady of Guyana, Arya Ali is involved in a number of community welfare and social initiatives.

Social Media

Irfaan Ali’s social media accounts include Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter.

  1. Instagram: @presidentirfaanaligy 

  2. Facebook: @PresidentIrfaanali 

  3. Twitter: @presidentaligy 

Disclaimer: This profile of Irfaan Ali is published by Associates Times. It is based on information available from official government sources, press statements, reputable news outlets, and verified public records. While every effort has been made to ensure accuracy, leadership roles and political developments can change over time. For corrections or updates, please contact us at contact@associatestimes.com or visit our Editorial Policy page here.

For more information on other Political Leaders, visit our Caribbean Leaders Hub.